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Another neighbor dog gripe

My neighbor's black lab has decided that my house is the cool place to hang out and that I am his new best friend. This guy is an enormous black lab and I'm guessing fairly young, around a year or so. I imagine the poor guy is lonely and likes hanging with my dogs and now loves me because I actually pay some attention to him. I made the mistake of throwing a stick to see if he'd retrieve. He didn't retrieve it but had a blast running around playing with it.

It wouldn't be so bad but he barks at and tries to chase the Boyz (my geldings). In fairness, my dogs bark at them too and probably start things. The Boyz are unimpressed with the dogs and will ignore them unless they get too annoying, then they will chase the dogs. Bruno was seriously trying to stomp this dog into the mud a few days ago. As a result, dog is learning that horses are not fun to chase. The other thing is I can't feed my outside dogs because I don't want to start feeding "Bud" (short for Butt Ugly Dog). Bud tends to be a little dog agressive and I don't want to break up dog fights at feeding time. Did I mention Bud needs some "brain surgery"?

Bud is really a pretty nice dog, he just needs to be neutered and have someone do something with him. He seems to be smart, he now knows that Bud means him and if I get on to him for something, he will quit immediately and come back to me. He's become my shadow, stays right by me the whole time I'm outside.

Anybody want a nice, friendly black lab? He could be disappeared into a new home.

Why don't you just tell your neighbor to take their dog and keep it on their property. Are you seriously going to steal someone's dog and make it "disappear"? Just because you think it is a poor thing?

Hope no one makes YOUR dogs disappear.

Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
-Rudyard Kipling

Why don't you just tell your neighbor to take their dog and keep it on their property. Are you seriously going to steal someone's dog and make it "disappear"? Just because you think it is a poor thing?

Hope no one makes YOUR dogs disappear.

Eh, if they didn't want the dog to disappear, they'd perhaps keep it on their property.

Eh, if they didn't want the dog to disappear, they'd perhaps keep it on their property.

I totally don't mean to be snarky, but maybe they don't know?

When I was growing up, our neighbor had a Dalmatian that would come over for the day to play. He would let himself out when his owner left and back in he'd go shortly before she came home. FWIW he had an inside/outside type living arrangement, and would just hop the fence. My Mom finally walked over one weekend and she had NO clue that the dog was visiting.

When I was growing up, our neighbor had a Dalmatian that would come over for the day to play. He would let himself out when his owner left and back in he'd go shortly before she came home. FWIW he had an inside/outside type living arrangement, and would just hop the fence. My Mom finally walked over one weekend and she had NO clue that the dog was visiting.

Dalmations tend to be a little more gifted in the brain power department than goofy, unneutered male Labs, but I'll give it to you that his owners may just not be aware. So, OP, go check in with them ONCE.

After ONE check in, I would feel no guilt whatsoever in getting him fixed and finding him a happy, RESPONSIBLE new home. Big goofy labs are easy to place.

Dalmations tend to be a little more gifted in the brain power department than goofy, unneutered male Labs, but I'll give it to you that his owners may just not be aware. So, OP, go check in with them ONCE.

After ONE check in, I would feel no guilt whatsoever in getting him fixed and finding him a happy, RESPONSIBLE new home. Big goofy labs are easy to place.

When I was growing up, our neighbor had a Dalmatian that would come over for the day to play. He would let himself out when his owner left and back in he'd go shortly before she came home. FWIW he had an inside/outside type living arrangement, and would just hop the fence. My Mom finally walked over one weekend and she had NO clue that the dog was visiting.

roflmao! that sounds soo like a Dal!
Yep those little jerks are exceptionally gifted!
(GAWD I miss mine!)

Why don't you just tell your neighbor to take their dog and keep it on their property. Are you seriously going to steal someone's dog and make it "disappear"? Just because you think it is a poor thing?

I dont think you can steal something that's on your property but i may be mistaken.
In any event, the last thing this dog needs to be doing is running around making more little mongrel puppies to get euth'd in shelters.
At the very least I would talk to the owner one time, then if he continues to come over, find a low cost clinic or something and take him in for brain surgery, then maybe bring him back.
He's learning not to chase the horses, and sounds like an all around good boy.
If his owner really cared about him he would a) be neutered, and b) not roaming around. On the off chance he is some fabulous breeding animal then the owner should be responsible and keep him properly contained.

If he keeps showing up after that then I think I would find him a more appropriate home if he is a problem.

"Perhaps the final test of anybody's love of dogs is their willingness to permit them to make a camping ground of the bed" -Henry T. Merwin

We lived on a farm and had numerous dogs. Shepherds, mastiffs, rotweilers. All of those dogs were easy to teach the boundaries of our property and we never had a problem with wandering dogs; until, we got a lab. We spent so much time trying to teach this black lab how to stay home and he would not. The only saving grace was that our neighbour's (who were 1/2 mile away) horses, cattle and buffalo often escaped and ended up in our planted fields, so our little lab at their house was minor. Until, he escaped and got into their rabbit pen and massacred all the rabbits. That was it. I gave him away to a family with a fenced yard. I'm not sure if it was the dog or the breed, but I will never own another lab.

I have 11 dogs right now. I foster and am in rescue, plus some dogs I found. Every one is spayed or neutered and chipped. My dogs do not go visiting. I love my dogs but I dont expect everyone else to. Plus there are too many bad things that can happen to wandering dogs, be they accidental or intentional.
My dogs stay home. It's very easy to do. It's called a fence. I have 4' no climb with top rail, with pipe gates, and secured to the no climb is an invisible fence system. The end. It's not hard.

and for the record I have had 3 black labs at the same time, and any number of hounds that i have fostered/rescued and later placed, and all stayed contained.

"Perhaps the final test of anybody's love of dogs is their willingness to permit them to make a camping ground of the bed" -Henry T. Merwin

I was kidding when I talked about "disappearing" him. Apparently his owner had gone out of town and he decided to go visiting. They came home last night and he went home. Bless his heart he helped me yesterday when I fell in the mud when my boot got stuck. He came over and let me balance on him while I got up and pulled my boot out. So I fed him.

I was kidding when I talked about "disappearing" him. Apparently his owner had gone out of town and he decided to go visiting. They came home last night and he went home. Bless his heart he helped me yesterday when I fell in the mud when my boot got stuck. He came over and let me balance on him while I got up and pulled my boot out. So I fed him.

Your behavior is what's causing the problem. At this point, you're well on the way to adopting the dog. If you want a dog to go home, don't throw sticks for him and above all, don't feed him.

um, actually, owners who care about their dogs don't neuter them until they are at least fully grown, which at one year of age for a large dog is way too young. And if the dog is a performance dog or show dog or hunting dog the owners may be planning to not ever neuter the dog and will be quite upset if you sneak him away and neuter him- you could be prosecuted for damaging their valuable property.

Instead of assuming the dog is neglected, maybe you should wonder if the owners are frantically looking for their lost dog? instead of playing with and tolerating him, you should be simply take him home and talk with the neighbors about not letting him roam. After that, if he shows up again, call animal control. A few heft fines from them might convince them to fix their fences or whatever the problem is.

you don't want to set a precedent with the neighbors for tolerating roaming dogs- you like this dog, but what if the next one is not so nice?

I think the first action is to talk to the neighbors. It could be that they don't realize he's roaming that far, and that he's being a pest. It could also be some of the situations wendy stated, and they'll keep him up after this. On the other hand, it could be he was an unwanted gift, they would love to rehome him, and would be thrilled with your help. You don't know until you talk to them. Hopefully, something will be decided before he gets squashed.

I was kidding when I talked about "disappearing" him. Apparently his owner had gone out of town and he decided to go visiting. They came home last night and he went home. Bless his heart he helped me yesterday when I fell in the mud when my boot got stuck. He came over and let me balance on him while I got up and pulled my boot out. So I fed him.

that is a very different situation than if he were just allowed to gallivant around the 'hood at will. I would talk to the neighbors about their fencing and the situation etc, and also stress that (veterinary opinions etc about the appropriate age for neutering etc not withstanding), if the animal is not neutered then it needs to be secured to prevent unauthorized breeding and contributing to the pet overpopulation problem, whether it may be the canine Secretariat or not.

Then if the problem continues I would go from there.

"Perhaps the final test of anybody's love of dogs is their willingness to permit them to make a camping ground of the bed" -Henry T. Merwin